Wednesday, May 27, 2015

On May 1, first-graders
at Kimberley Park Elementary School took a field trip to Barnes & Noble
bookstore.

“Because
reading is such an important skill that our first graders are working on,
I was trying to figure out a way to get our students excited about reading,”
said first-grade teacher Kathryn Gehrs. “Not only do I want them to learn to
read, but I want them to love to read as well. This is
why I created a GoFundMe project for a field trip to Barnes & Noble. What better way to get our students excited about reading than let
them go to a book store and buy their very own brand new books?”

People
responded and donated more than $1,200.

“Thanks
to generous donations by our volunteers, their family members and friends, as
well as our family members and friends, the first-grade students at
Kimberley Park Elementary school were able to take a field trip to Barnes &
Noble,” Gehrs said. “There they were able to take a tour of the store, listen to
some wonderful children's stories and get a sweet treat. The best part of the
trip was that each child was able to purchase $20 worth of brand-new books for
themselves and purchase a $5 book to donate to Brenner Children's Hospital.

“Our
goal was to make sure that all 45 of our first graders had books in their hands
to read over the summer, and learn the importance of paying it forward in the
process. Not only do we want our students to learn to read, but we want
them to love to read too.

“Many of
our students had never been to a book store before, so this was an exciting
experience. Thanks to the outstanding service of the employees at Barnes &
Noble, as well as the kindness of the volunteers who helped the students pick
out books, this is one field trip our students will never forget.”

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

This is the third installment
of a new series in The Exceptional Times that highlights people in the
Exceptional Children Department.

Margarita Murden is an EC
teacher assistant at Hanes Magnet School.

“Margarita ‘Mama Murden’ Murden’s
impact is amazing as she has a special, natural gift that makes the difference
not only among EC students and teachers but the Hanes community as well.
She wears many hats and her willingness and dedication are unconditional,
regardless of the need and people involved. Her calm nurturing mannerism
in dealing with students’ academic, social, and/or at-risk behaviors is
astonishing. Her experience encompasses various disabilities and ability
levels including the MAP program. Her quality time with students and adults
leaves a golden imprint which is unforgettable.

“One person can make a
difference, and “Mama Murden” does.”

Murden’s duties include,
but are not limited to, serving as a resource paraprofessional in science, math
and social studies; supporting students; maintaining daily documentation;
assisting the EC teacher with guided practice teaching; and assisting with bus
duties after school.

“Alicia
Clement, an EC resource teacher at Walkertown High School, is an amazing asset
to the students, families, and staff. She goes above and beyond every
day. Ms. Clement is willing to help students and co-workers in any way
possible. If asked to help, there is no doubt it will be done and done
well!

“Ms.
Clement spends hours outside of work continuing to share her passion for
educational excellence. She has an uncanny ability to help her students
understand academic concepts and apply them to their schoolwork and
post-secondary goals. Her enthusiasm and energy are infectious and help keep
the atmosphere at Walkertown High positive. Both students and staff know,
without a doubt, that Alicia is always ready to lend a helping hand and offer
support. We are so grateful to have Ms. Clement at Walkertown High School!”

On
Friday, May 15th, students at Rural Hall Elementary School had the
opportunity to get a taste of what awaits them when they move up to the next
grade for the 2015-16 school year.

Parents
were invited to attend "Moving Up" Day.While giving students a taste of what is to come, the event
was also designed to help parents find out more about academic requirements and expectations for the next
grade. Parents had the opportunity to ask questions and get grade-specific
answers.

Other
schools participated in a number of ways. The
Northwest Middle School band & orchestra visited fifth-graders in their music
class. Students from Paisley IB Magnet School and Hanes Magnet School visited
with fifth-graders via Skype to talk with students from Paisley.

Fifth-graders also had the chance to learn how to
work a lock for a locker.

Fourth-graders
visited a fifth-grade class and had the chance to see what it was like to have their
own laptop for school use. “They were happy!” said teacher Linda McDermon.

Third-graders
visited a fourth-grade classroom “Upstairs - as grown up as it gets!” Mc Dermon
said.

Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art’s next Teacher
Night on May 19 includes a screening of Most
Likely to Succeed.

Teacher night is free and open to all educators. Along with
the screening and viewing art on the display at the center, the night will
include curriculum-based tours, lesson plans and materials, tech demos, along
with time to relax and refreshments.

The open house portion of the night is scheduled for 4 to 6 p.m.
The screening is scheduled for 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. with a discussion to follow.

Screened at Sundance, this documentary focuses on the story of
a school in San Diego that is completely rethinking what the experience of
going to school looks like. As we follow students, parents and teachers through
a truly unorthodox school experience, the audience is forced to consider what
sort of educational environment is most likely to succeed in the 21st century?

As The Hollywood Reporter
put it: “It quickly becomes clear that Most
Likely to Succeed sees very little point in looking at education reform
from a political standpoint. This is a film about parents, teachers and, most
importantly, students, namely the grassroots participants that make up all the
statistics we hear about on the nightly news. We see their victories and
defeats, their excitement and anxiety.”

SECCA would like to thank Kaplan Inc. and Gryphon House Books for their generous support.

Each
year, the N.C. Reading Association sponsors a Young Authors program. This
year's theme was "Dare to Dream,” and six of the students participating
through the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Reading Council became state winners. The six winners
were Asha Pariyadath and Carsten Macosko, who are first graders at Jefferson
Elementary School; Caroline Yurkutat and Anna Grace Yurkutat, who are second
graders at Jefferson Elementary; and Slate Stewart and Sneha Thilik, who are sixth-graders at Meadowlark
Middle School.

Caroline
was the local council’s pick and Slate was a state judges' pick. Children's
author Kelly Starling Lyons was the speaker at the state celebration.

Jenni
Carowan, who teaches first grade at Jefferson, and Sabrina Secrest, who teaches
sixth-grade language arts at Meadowlark Middle, are the N.C. Reading
Association's State Young Authors Co-Chairs.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

As the school year draws to a
close, the people Hospice & Palliative CareCenter are hoping that those who
know of a student who is mourning the death of a loved one will let the student
and his or her family know about Camp Carousel.

The
camp, which is scheduled for Monday, July 27 through Friday, July 31, is a
bereavement retreat for children and teen-agers (rising 1st graders
through rising 12th graders), as well as adults, who are grieving the
death of a loved one. Camp Carousel offers grief support groups, art and
music therapy, writing, animal-assisted therapy, and a variety of fun and
creative activities designed to help those who are grieving death-related
losses.

Some
age groups fill up quickly, so please let bereaved students and families know
that space is limited and that registration is underway. Full and partial
scholarships are available; no one is
ever turned away due to an inability to pay the $25 fee.

For
more information about Camp Carousel, you can get in touch with Donna Hampton,
the Director of Grief & Bereavement Services at Donna.Hampton@hospicecarecenter.org
or 331-1319.

You
will find a registration form and more information about Hospice at Hospice

About Me

We're here to share good news about people associated with Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools, to answer questions and to let you share your thoughts about how to make the schools better. If you have something that you would like for others to know about or want to ask a question, please send an email to Kim Underwood